That is not to say that bums don't get put into office every so often, and as the saying goes, few have lost money (or elections) by underestimating the intelligence of the American [sheeple].
But at the appropriate time, it seems that that "diamond in the rough" comes along and just about everyone can recognize it. Call me an optimist, I guess...
the WWII generation is dying off - that generation understood much about the ideals of America. We are now faced with a generation from the 60s; and their children, educated by the liberal public schools and the culture provided by the mass media and MTV. Add the "entitlement generation" to that mix - I just don't see it.